Poor posture, such as the hunching forward of the neck, shoulders, or lower back, contributes to chronic back pain and can result in semi-permanent sagittal misalignment of the spine, or sagittal imbalance. Poor posture during normal activities such as sitting, standing, walking, or lifting of heavy objects, leads to straining of certain muscles of the back and disuse of others. Over time, this leads to weakening of the posterior tension band as certain muscles attempt to compensate for the misalignment of the spine, while others atrophy from disuse. As the posterior tension band weakens, maintaining correct posture becomes more difficult, causing a person to hunch forward. This condition is compounded by the gradual decline in strength of the muscles and bones of the back associated with aging. This loss of the ability to maintain correct posture can cause chronic back pain, and increase the risk of back injury during normal activities, such as lifting or carrying of objects. Furthermore, once the strength of the posterior tension band begins to deteriorate, the condition is difficult to correct.
Conventional techniques and devices for correcting sagittal imbalance often require that a user's range of motion be severely limited, or that their back be immobilized. In this manner, conventional devices force the user to maintain correct posture. However, these devices can unnecessarily limit a user's ability to perform activities during work or daily life that would not otherwise implicate or aggravate sagittal imbalance.